1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector enclosure for housing electrical components, and more particularly to a mounting assembly with an open design to facilitate multiple configurations of electrical components secured inside an electrical enclosure, including a waterproof cover.
2. Discussion
Waterproof electrical boxes are well known in the industry for housing a variety of electrical receptacles and other electrical connector components. Electrical boxes are often situated on programmable logic controllers (PLC), computer numeric control (CNC) machines or other industrial equipment, and thus are exposed to contamination from dirt, water or other foreign substances found in an industrial setting. Depending on the particular situation, the protection provided by the electrical box may be required to meet various industry or government safety standards. Furthermore, each electrical box may accommodate ground fault interrupters, duplex receptacles, various types of communication ports (e.g., 25-pin DB25 or 9-pin DB-9 connectors) and other communication devices (i.e, floppy disk drive, fiber optic components, ect.).
These electrical boxes are also accessible to numerous machinists and repairmen, including some unauthorized personnel. It is necessary to provide a tamper proof design, including a suitable locking mechanism to control access to the electrical connectors contained within these boxes.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a cost effective mounting assembly for attachment to a standard electrical box. The mounting assembly uses an open design, including prepunched configuration plates, to accommodate multiple configurations and flexible positioning of various electrical components. It is also desirable to provide a deep, protective weather-tight cover pivotally hinged to the mounting base and lockable by either a padlock placed through aligning hasps or by a pre-mounted tumbler camlock. To achieve industry or government safety standards, a captive screw may be used to compress sealing gaskets, and thus secure the cover to the mounting base.